


take these broken wings and learn to fly

by heartfullofharry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 06:23:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15880353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofharry/pseuds/heartfullofharry
Summary: Louis is a single father. He lives alone with his daughter, Julia, who’s other father is in prison for domestic abuse. He’s perfectly content living alone with Julia, along with his best friend Liam who lives next door and pops in everyday.Until a very handsome boy with a kitten shows up at his doorstep, and makes it very hard for Louis to say no.





	take these broken wings and learn to fly

"Daddy!"

Louis grunts into his pillow, slowly opening his eyes to realise it's not morning yet. His bedroom is pitch black, the only light in the room coming from his alarm clock. He turns to look at it, seeing it's only three in the morning. 

"Daddy!" The little voice from down the hall shrieks again, and he soon breaks through his groggy state and realises his daughter is calling him. He gets out of bed quickly and rushes down the hallway, running into Julia's bedroom.

The lamp in the corner of the room is on, since she doesn't like to sleep in the dark. Julia is sat up in her little bed, sobbing out loud as Louis scoops her up and holds her close to him. 

"What's the matter, lovey?" Louis coos over Julia's crying, her face buried in his shoulder as he paces the floor. She just keeps crying, and Louis frowns and kisses the top of her head. "Oh, baby, please. Did you have another nightmare?"

Julia nods her head, her crying becoming a bit quieter, and Louis' frown deepens. "Okay, you can sleep with Daddy, okay?" He soothes, walking over to her bed and picking up the stuffed bear his mother had bought for her when she was born. "You're okay, peanut, it was just a dream. Daddy's got you."

Louis walks towards the door, handing the stuffed animal to Julia before flicking the light switch off, making the room dark. Julia whimpers, but Louis hushes her soothingly and carries the three year old towards his bedroom. 

"Want to tell me what your dream was about, Jay?" Louis asks softly, sitting down on his bed with Julia in his lap, although he already knows. 

"Papa," Julia sniffles, holding her bear tightly. "Papa h-hit you 'gain, Daddy."

Louis tenses, kissing Julia's forehead when he looks up at him. "Papa is not coming back. Ever. I told you, Daddy's going to keep you safe, baby."

"I-I go work with you a'morrow, Daddy?" Julia asks before hiccuping, completely ignoring Louis' assurances. Louis smiles and nods.

"Yup, you get to help Daddy put all the pretty flowers together," Louis explains with a smile. He owns a flower shop with his Mum, who used to work as a nurse until she had Louis' youngest siblings (Louis was up the duff with Julia when they were just a year old). 

"I-I like the pink ones," Julia sniffles. Louis smiles wider, leaning forward and pecking the tip of his daughter's nose.

"I know you do, peanut," He hums, and Julia giggles softly. "Think we should get some sleep now, yeah? Don't want you to be all grumpy when we see Nana Jay tomorrow."

"I-I don't wanna have 'nother bad dream," Julia whimpers, burying her face into Louis' chest. Louis frowns and rubs his daughter's back. 

"You won't, love," He says softly. "And even if you do, Daddy's right here, okay?" He leans back and nuzzles his nose with hers, something he's been doing since she was a baby. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you ever again, okay?"

"'M sleepy," Julia mumbles, and Louis frowns. She doesn't believe him. He lays her down on the other side of the bed before pulling the covers over her. "You sing to me, Daddy?"

"Sure, peanut," Louis chuckles, running his fingers through Julia's hair. "What do you want me to sing?"

"M-My song," Julia mutters sleepily, hugging her bear tight. Louis just hums and tucks her hair behind her ear. 

"Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you, Julia," Louis starts to softly sing the Beatles song that gave Julia her name. "Julia, Julia, ocean child, calls me..."

Julia scoots closer to Louis, burying her face into his side as he grins. "So I sing a song of love, Julia," Louis reaches down and strokes Julia's cheek with his thumb. "Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me, so I sing a song of love, Julia..."

♛   
"Eat your banana, baby," Louis mutters, holding the toddler on his hip as music from his Bluetooth speaker plays. Julia won't let him put her down, and he feels bad for forcing her to get down, so he holds her with one arm and makes an egg for himself with the other. 

The front door opens and closes, and Liam walks into the kitchen. "I brought you tea," He says, sliding a white paper cup with a lid towards Louis. "From that bakery, Anne's."

"Bless you," Louis sighs, picking the tea up and taking a sip. "Did you say good morning to Liam, sweet pea?"

"G'morning, Li," Julia mumbles, reaching out for Liam. He takes her, holding her on his own hip as Louis closes his eyes and lets out a tired sigh. Falling asleep can be difficult, especially when he knows the same thing he worries about is also on his daughter’s mind. 

“Y’alright, Lou?” Liam asks, eyebrows furrowed in a worried sort of way. Louis just waves him off and flips his fried egg, and Liam frowns. He sets Julia down and seems like he’s about to approach Louis, but Julia whimpers as soon as she’s out of Liam’s hold.

“Daddy,” She whines, holding her arms up to Louis. Her eyes are shiny, tears threatening to spill. A woman in a store saw her do this once and muttered under her breath about bratty children. She’s not being bratty, she’s scared, and Louis knows this.

“C’mere, baby,” Louis says softly, leaning down and lifting Julia up. She buries her face into the crook of his neck, and Liam’s own face softens in sympathy. 

“Are you going in today?” Liam asks, leaning against the counter so it’s digging into the small of his back and taking a leisurely sip of coffee. Louis nods and sneaks a bite of Julia’s banana, making the three year old giggle softly. 

“Not until noon,” He answers, turning the stovetop off and walking towards the cabinet to grab a plate. “Julia’s going to come to work and help Daddy with the flowers, right, peanut?”

“Mhmm,” Julia hums with her mouth full of banana. Liam can’t help but smile while Louis puts his egg on a plate and walks to a different part of the kitchen to get silverware. “Y-Y-You like flowers, Li?”

Liam chuckles. “I like roses,” He nods, and Julia’s eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“The swirlies, love,” Louis explains, and Julia nods. Liam chuckles again, and Louis carries his plate, silverware, and Julia to the kitchen table.

“Can I set you down in a chair, love?” Louis asks, kissing the top of Julia’s head. “Or do you want to sit in Daddy’s lap?”

“Lap,” Julia mumbles, and Louis sits down with Julia sitting on his knee, still eating her banana. Liam comes over and sets Louis’ tea down in front of him, sitting across the table from him. 

“Cheryl wants to move in with me,” Liam mentions, looking down at his lap. Louis raises his eyebrows, cutting into his egg and wrinkling his nose when the yolk is runny. He can never cook it how he wants it.

“Bit fast, yeah?” He comments. Liam lets out an almost exaggerated sigh and stares at his styrofoam coffee cup. 

“I don’t know?” He admits while Louis feeds Julia a bite of his egg. “I like her, Lou, I really do. I don’t know if I love her though. It’s only been three months! What will my mum think?”

“‘M sure Karen would appreciate it if you asked her for advice,” Louis points out, sliding his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Instead of your friend who has had one relationship, which obviously did not work out in his favour.”

Liam twists his mouth. “I just don’t want to move too fast,” He admits, eyes stuck on his coffee again. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good relationship, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Tell her that,” Louis shrugs. Liam sighs again, not as exaggerated, and Julia slips down from Louis’ lap with her banana in hand. “Where are you going, bub?”

“Want bear,” Julia explains. 

“Leave your banana with me, please,” Louis requests gently, and Julia hands it to him before practically skipping towards the stairs. 

“You look really tired, Lou,” Liam points out, and Louis huffs. 

“Thanks, mate,” He mumbles, taking another bite of his egg. “Thanks so much.”

“‘M serious,” Liam stresses, shaking his head. “What’s the matter? Has Julia been having nightmares again?”

“Yeah,” Louis sighs softly, and Liam frowns. “She told me last night she had one where Ash came back and hit me, and I just-” He closed his eyes and lets out a long breath. “I don’t want her to feel unsafe. He can’t hurt her again, and I keep telling her that, but she’s adamant on him coming back.”

Liam is about to respond, but the two of them hear little footsteps running towards the kitchen. “Got your bear, love?” Louis asks, tone very different than it was a few moments ago. 

“Mhm,” Julia hums, climbing back onto Louis’ lap. Louis kisses the top of her head. Liam just eyes Louis worriedly, and Louis pretends not to notice. 

The morning goes by quickly, as they all do, and soon Liam is off to work and Louis is getting Julia dressed for the day. She is adamant on wearing rain boots, although it’s quite dry outside, and a grey dress her nana bought her. 

They stroll into the shop right before noon, Julia pulling on Louis’ arm and asking if Auntie Lottie will be there and when Auntie Fiz will come and sleepover again (she had once, when she was in town for a job interview and Jay’s house was far too busy for her liking). 

“Well, good morning, babes,” Jay greets, cheerful as ever as her and Lottie stand around the counter. Louis just grins wearily, letting Julia toddle her way over to her Nana. 

“G’morning,” Louis mumbles, a second cup of tea in a travel mug in his hand as he takes his sunglasses off and hooks them onto the collar of his sweater. He can’t drive without them, even in the winter. He sets his tea down on the counter and watches as Jay lifts Julia up and holds her on her hip.

“Y’alright, Lou?” Lottie asks, setting her phone down and leaning onto the counter. Louis is so sick of people asking him that, no matter what the context. He can take care of himself very well, thank you very much.

“I’m fine,” He assures in a tone that tells both Lottie and his mother he doesn’t want to discuss it any further. “Slow morning?”

“Sort of,” Jay nods, bouncing Julia on her hip a bit and looking around the little store. It’s always slow on weekdays, especially in the mornings. “Only a few people earlier. One very handsome boy looking for flowers for his sister’s baby shower.”

Louis’ mother wiggles her eyebrows at Lottie, who recently broke up with her boyfriend, and just chuckles when Lottie rolls her eyes and sighs. “‘S too soon, Mum, don’t even,” She picks her phone up again when it vibrates against the counter. “Besides, he was definitely gay.”

“Oh, please,” Jay shakes her head. 

“Really, no straight bloke cares that much about color schemes,” Lottie points out, and Louis hums in agreement. “Especially for a baby shower.”

“So maybe we’ll save him for Louis, then,” Jay shrugs, fixing the collar of Julia’s dress that Louis had noticed was a bit messed up.

“No thanks,” Louis grumbles, walking behind the counter and grabbing an apron with the store’s logo off a hook on the wall. “I’m never, ever dating again.”

Jay purses her lips and gives Lottie a look.

♛ 

“What would you like for dinner, peanut?” Louis asks as he helps Julia take her little jacket off, hanging it on the coat rack near the door. It had started snowing on their way home (maybe those rain boots weren’t such a bad idea), which was rare. Louis shivered as Julia sat down on the carpet so he could help her with her boots.

“Mac n’ cheese?” Julia squeaks as Louis pulls her rubber boots off. 

“That sounds yummy,” Louis agrees, standing up after scooping Julia up in his arms. “How about some chocolate milk too, since you were so well-behaved today?”

“Yes, please!” Julia grins, and Louis smiles as well. He carries her to the living room and sets her down on the sofa, picking up the remote to the telly with one hand and running his fingers through her hair with the other. 

“You can watch Paw Patrol while Daddy makes supper, okay?” Louis leans down and kisses the top of Julia’s head once her show is on. Julia doesn’t answer, already too mesmerised by the television, and Louis just smiles lovingly before making his way to the kitchen. 

Dinner time is Louis’ favourite time of the day. It’s not as chaotic as mornings, when most of the time he has to go into the shop around eight (today was an exception because Lottie was there) and wakes up late, resulting in both he and Julia being very grumpy. 

He gets to sit across the table from Julia, eating mac ‘n cheese and listening to her talking about whatever she feels like talking about. He can’t believe something so beautiful came from someone so evil. 

“I-I-I like purple grapes more than green grapes,” Julia mentions, which, she was just talking about Elmo. Louis listens like he’s very interested, though, because he is. She could talk about anything and he’d stop and listen. 

“Oh yeah?” Louis hums, taking a bite of his mac ‘n cheese that’s shaped like stars. “I like purple grapes too.”

“A-And purple apples are better th-than green apples,” Julia continues, and Louis smiles fondly.

“I think you mean red apples, lovey,” He corrects gently, and Julia stops chewing for a moment. 

“Oh,” She says with her mouth full. 

After they’re both full from dinner, Louis gives Julia a bath and gets her into her pyjamas, reading her two books (even though he had warned her he’d only read one) before she’s fast asleep in her little bed. 

Louis does some tidying in the kitchen before there’s a knock on the front door. He has no idea who it could be, so he cautiously walks over to it and opens it to find a very tall and very handsome boy standing there. 

“Hello,” The boy greets with a sheepish smile. “I’m very sorry to bother you, I was just wondering if you had any cat food?”

“I-” Louis furrows his eyebrows. The boy can see he’s obviously confused, so he pulls his jacket back to reveal his other hand is holding a kitten underneath it. “Oh, goodness.”

“At least, like, some deli meat would be good,” The boy shrugs, and Louis is snapped out of his trance that was induced by the very handsome bloke. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Louis opens the door a bit wider. “Come in, come in, you must be freezing.”

“Thanks,” The boy grins, stepping into the house, now holding the kitten outside of his jacket. He’s got this gorgeous hair, some of the pieces curling at the ends. His eyes are green, and he’s got deep, deep dimples when he smiles. Louis realises he’s staring and feels his cheeks heat up.

“Sorry, um,” He holds his hand out towards the outlandishly beautiful man, and the man takes it in his own and shakes it. “I’m Louis.”

“Harry,” The man replies. 

“Why don’t you come sit down, warm up a bit?” Louis suggests, noticing the melted snowflakes on Harry’s shoulders and how red the tip of his nose is. “I’ll get your cat some food and you some tea, if you’d like?”

“That’d be lovely,” Harry admits, smile a bit crooked as he follows Louis to the lounge. “I don’t want to impose, though.”

“Nonsense,” Louis says, motioning towards an armchair he bought at a garage sale. Harry sits down, his tiny kitten in his lap, while Louis stands in front of him. “Eh, how do you like your tea?”

“A bit of milk would be lovely,” Harry says, still smiling, and Louis gives him a smaller grin.

“Sure,” He says, fiddling with his hands. “I’ll be right back.”

So he walks to the kitchen, making a cup of tea with milk for Harry and a bowl of turkey for the cat. When we walks back to the lounge he finds Harry standing up, the cat curled up in the chair. He’s looking at the framed pictures Louis has on a long table in front of the window, most of them of Julia.

“Is that your daughter?” Harry asks, turning to Louis when he walks in. Louis sets the bowl down on the chair next to the cat and smiles to himself.

“Yeah, that’s my Julia,” He says adoringly, heading Harry his cuppa.

“Thank you,” Harry mumbles before his eyes go back to the framed pictures. There’s a lot of just Julia posing, a few of Louis or Jay or Lottie holding her, and one of Louis laying in the hospital bed holding her, him looking down at her with a huge, watery grin. He cut Ashton out of that picture—he was standing off to the side watching the two of them. “Julia’s a nice name.”

“Got it from the Beatles song,” Louis admits, eyes going to the photographs as well. Harry’s head whips towards Louis, a smile slowly growing on his lips.

“Really?” He asks, and Louis nods. “That’s so...cool. ‘S a really good song.”

Louis chuckles. “It was my mum’s favourite. She was beside herself when I told her the name.”

“She looks a lot like you,” Harry points out, and Louis beams. “Except for those dimples, I guess. Did she get those from your husband?”

“Oh, um,” Louis clears his throat awkwardly. “I’m not married. Her dad’s...not in the picture.”

“Oh!” Harry practically squeaks, cheeks darkening. “I’m so sorry for assuming, I-I just, I mean—”

“‘S fine,” Louis assures, laughing a little to put Harry at ease. “I’d think the same. But yeah, no, he hasn’t been around for about five months now.”

“Why?” Harry asks, and his cheeks get even darker as he immediately shakes his head. “No, never mind, I’m being a proper wanker, ‘s none of my business. I’m sorry.”

“Relax,” Louis says, his tone a bit teasing, and Harry twists his mouth. “He’s, uh, in jail, actually. He wasn’t very...kind to me or Julia.”

“I’m so sorry,” Harry says softly, eyes going back to the pictures of Louis and the tiny, tiny girl. Louis can tell Harry’s probably figured out what he’s getting at. “That’s bloody awful.”

“He’s gone now, we’re doing okay,” Louis assures, giving Harry a small smile. “Now, since I’ve told you something so personal, I think I deserve to know why you were walking around at night, in the snow, with a cat.”

Harry seems to become less tense, and he smiles again. “Me and my mum got into a fight,” He admits. “I needed to cool off for a bit, but Mick’s got meds she needs to take at a certain time, and I knew I wouldn’t be back to give them to her, so I just took her with me.”

“Aw,” Louis sighs softly, looking over to the cat who’s eating her turkey quietly. “She’s cute, her name’s Mick you said?”

“After Mick Fleetwood,” Harry admits with a laugh. “I found her outside my house, and posted about her for months asking if she belonged to anyone. She seemed pretty rough when I found her, so I figured whoever she did belong to wasn’t very kind to her. She had surgery on her leg, that’s why she takes the meds, the bone was messed up.”

“That’s terrible,” Louis frowns, looking back up at Harry. “Very sweet of you to take her in.”

“My mum doesn’t like it,” Harry admits with a small laugh. “She’s never liked cats. But she knew I wouldn’t leave her alone, so she caved. ‘M saving up for my own flat, though.”

“What do you do?” Louis asks, and holy shit, Harry smells so good. 

“I’m training to be a police officer,” Harry says with a big smile. “A lot of the time I work at my mum’s bakery, when I’m not at school.”

“Wow,” Louis says with his eyebrows raised. “Impressive.”

“Thanks,” Harry grins. “I like to think so.”

“I hope you’re a good police officer,” Louis says while Harry takes a sip of his tea. “I may sound like a proper mother, but treat everyone the same, be sympathetic when you have to be.”

“I intend to,” Harry nods, very sincere, though he’s still smiling. He rarely ever stops, Louis notices. “I just got my taser training a few days ago. Not fun. Still hurts a bit.”

“Taser training?” Louis questions, raising his eyebrow. “Like, they tase you?” Harry nods, and Louis winces. “Jesus.”

“I barely screamed,” Harry brags. Louis can’t help but let himself giggle a little bit, and Harry seems pleased. “One guy fainted. They had to call an ambulance.”

“Was he okay?” Louis asks.

“He quit,” Harry hums, and Louis giggles again. “Decided he didn’t want to be a police officer anymore, poor bloke.”

“You must be pretty strong, then,” Louis points out, and Harry’s cheeks turn pink. “If you could handle that.”

“Aha, I don’t know about that,” Harry looks down at his shoes shyly, and Louis just grins. Mick meows, and Harry glances over at the kitten to see her bowl is empty. “You done, M?”

Mick meows again, and Harry reaches inside of his coat pocket and pulls out a bag of cat treats. Louis furrows his eyebrows as Harry feeds one to the tiny kitten, watching her eat it earnestly.

“The vet gave me treats with her meds in them,” Harry explains. “She wouldn’t take them any other way.”

“Aw,” Louis coos as Harry lifts Mick into his arms. “She’s very cute, wish we had a cat.”

“I recommend it,” Harry chuckles while Louis reaches forward and pets Mick’s head, Mick purring loudly. “She’s nice to cuddle with ‘n such. A lot of the time while ‘m sleeping she’ll curl up on my shoulder and sleep there.”

“That is the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard,” Louis gasps, and Harry chuckles again. “I want a pet so badly. Julia doesn’t, though.”

“What?!” Harry exclaims. “What kind of kid doesn’t want a pet?”

“Right?!” Louis laughs, cooing when Mick rubs her cheek against his hand. “I think she likes it just being her and I all the time.”

“‘S really just you and Julia?” Harry asks softly, like he’s scared of an answer. Louis nods.

“‘Ve got a big family, and they help sometimes,” Louis says. “And my best friend lives right next door, he usually comes by when I’m not working. But, for the most part, ‘s just me and Jay. I love it, though. I probably sound super biased, but she’s the most amazing little girl in the world.”

“How old is she?” Harry asks, eyes wandering back to the pictures on the table.

“Three,” Louis grins to himself. “She’s turning four in a few months. I had her when I was eighteen.”

“Wow,” Harry says quietly. “You’re-”

“Young, yeah,” Louis giggles. “Twenty-one.”

“You look older,” Harry flushed as soon as he says it. “I-I didn’t, like, mean to offend you! I just mean you look more mature, probably because you’re, you know, a parent. ‘M gonna shut up.”

Louis can’t stop laughing, and Harry still looks embarrassed. “You ramble quite a bit, don’t you?” He says between cackles, and Harry runs his fingers through his hair.

“Cute boys do that to me,” He says, obviously before thinking it through. He closes his eyes. “If I could jump off a cliff right now, I would.”

Louis’ face is red from laughing (and, maybe, being called cute by this insanely gorgeous man in front of him). “You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?” He teases, and Harry can’t help but laugh a little, the tips of his ears red from embarrassment. 

“Not a good one, apparently,” He sighs. 

“I disagree,” Louis raises his eyebrows, and Harry just smiles weakly. 

“Well, ‘m still single, so,” Harry shrugs, scratching below Mick’s chin lightly. “You’re the only one who seems to think so.”

“‘S a crying shame you don’t just give me your number,” Louis sighs wistfully, and what is he doing? Everything—Ashton, Julia, how young Harry looks, Julia, how emotionally unstable he is, Julia—seems to slip his mind. Harry’s eyes widen in surprise, cheeks now becoming red to match his ears.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I can do that,” Harry stutters, a small smile on his face as he pulls his mobile out from his back pocket. “Uh, why don’t you just give me yours?” He hands it to Louis, and Louis can’t stop grinning. He puts his number into a new contact, handing Harry’s phone back to him and giggling at Harry’s sheepish smile. 

“I-I should go,” Harry stumbles over his own words, he’s so cute. 

“I’ll be waiting for a text,” Louis says with a cheeky grin. Harry’s still smiling as well, biting his bottom lip as Mick meows. 

“I-I will, I’ll text you,” Harry stutters, giving Louis a shy smile as he staggered towards the front door. 

“Have a good night, Harry,” Louis giggles. 

“Y-Yeah, you too,” Harry replies bashfully.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr (absolutelysmittenforlarry) or wattpad (heartfullofharry)


End file.
